Valdecy is a rural worker and settlement leader in Gleba Pacoval, Santarém municipality. He is married and has 7 children. He is a stubborn fighter for justice and the rights of communities living in the rain forest. Because of that he has received death threats from teh "grileiros", false land owners who claim ownership of land on the basis of false documents.

Valdecy has a difficult life as he has to work the plantations and he has to be constantly aware of the threats. But he is a strong man, with a strong personality and he dares to be there in the rural area even near his enemies.

His organisation is part of the Rural Workers Union and in troubled times he receives support from other members of FRENTE EM DEFESA DA AMAZONIA

"My name is Valdecy dos Santos Gomes. I live in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. I am a farmer and the President of ECOTTACC. The occupation of the Amazon is carried out in an aggressive and violent way by invaders, wood companies, and soya extractor companies. They expel farmers from the land where the farmers were born and have brought up their families.

The National Institute of Colonisation and Agricultural Reform (INCRA) is the body responsible for settlements in Brazil. Two months ago, the public prosecutor’s office denounced INCRA and accused it of the creation of settlements for wood extractor companies instead of for the farmer families. The federal judge canceled 99 settlements that were considered irregular. This has been causing major conflicts in the Amazon where leaders of various movements are threatened for defending farmers like me and the Amazon land. This is also the case of other colleagues like Dada, Ivete, Fr. Edilberto and Fr. José Buengui. These are just some of the human rights defenders in Santarém. In other towns like Monte Alegre, Alenquer, Belterra, Juruti and Prainha there are also other human rights defenders that live under threat.

On the 21st of February 2006, I was taken and threatened by employees of wood extracting companies while I was in the settlement. I am constantly being persecuted by them. My children are not attending school, they are not free, their rights as children have been denied because I am constantly under threat and because, at least once a month, we have to move house.

I have no support, either from the municipality or the State. While my family is denied schooling and living a normal life, other families have the chance to send their children to school or to live freely.

I am not afraid of dying. I am afraid of losing the Amazon. I will keep fighting to defend the Amazon and its people.

Valdecy dos Santos Gomes is currently in hiding with his family. Contact on his behalf is our popular organisation movment, called Frente em Defesa da Amazonia. The address is: Trave. Assis Vasconcelos, 432 – bairro Aldeia – Santarém, Pará – Cep. 68 048 150 - Telephone: 0055 93 3523 10 66; Mobile: 91226398 - e-mail: edilrural@gmail.com"